Bangladesh’s standing in the Global Free Media Index has fallen further. The media says it is under greater threat from the political authorities around it,
which is supposed to guarantee media freedom.
Bangladesh ranked 163rd in the 2023 report on this indicator. But this time, Bangladesh has taken two steps back from this position. As a result, in this organization’s assessment, the status of media freedom in Bangladesh is lower than in all other countries in South Asia except Afghanistan.
Analysts say that the country’s political situation
And corporate ownership of the media are responsible for this situation. In general, they feel that an “atmosphere of fear” has been created in the media.
However, Bangladeshi Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat told BBC Bangla that there were “systematic and factual” errors in the Reporters Without Borders report. Moreover, he said during an editorial board event in Dhaka on Saturday that the government was working to ensure complete freedom for the media.
However, according to the five indicators compiled
By Reporters Without Borders, the political situation around the world worsened significantly last year.
“Governments have failed to protect journalism,” says part of the RSF report, which notes that governments and political authorities around the world are increasingly failing in their role as guarantors of the best possible environment for journalism.
The organization says that political forces
often fuel rumors. In many countries, governments control social media and the Internet, suppressing information and news.
By the way, through this indicator, the extent to which journalists around the world carry out their duties independently is reviewed.